A Law of Eternal: Hatred’s Folly and End
by Kadya
Summary: Never in this world can hatred be stilled by hatred; it will be stilled only by non-hatred -- this is the law of eternal" Buddha.
1. Prologue

Epilogue

"Never in this world can hatred be stilled by hatred; it will be stilled only by non-hatred -- this is the law of eternal."

Buddha _(563 BC-483 BC) Founder of Buddhism._

Prologue

"Oh, you gotta be kidding me!"

An explosion sounded behind a young woman, forcing her to run while ducking underneath the building's collapsing beams, desperate to find an exit. Flames licked at her face, smoke entered her lungs, but still she raced on, spotting a large crack in a wall a few feet in front of her. The walls were teetering ominously already….

Vaulting overtop of a burning skimmer wreckage, she rammed her shoulder into the crack, feeling the wall give just a bit before ramming into it again. Pain erupted in her shoulder, half blinding her, but she ignored it, knowing what the consequences would be otherwise.

"C'mon!" she yelled, her vision blurring further from the smoke. One final slam and the wall crumbled over, bringing with it a cool blast of air, filling her lungs with much needed oxygen.

Turning to look behind her, she viewed several more explosions demolish any lasting support beams in the building. Sprinting as hard as she could away, she made it just in time to prevent further injury from the building's wreckage. She hobbled the last few feet toward a rock formation that would provide her with some shelter and keep her hidden. She grinned, thinking about how worth it it had all been before allowing herself to fall into unconsciousness.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

"We become just by performing just action, temperate by performing temperate actions, brave by performing brave action."

Aristotle _(384 BC-322 BC) Greek philosopher._

Chapter One

"Any luck, Stork?"

The pilot sighed, looking over all the instruments before him. They were getting nowhere in this weather. A fog had crept up without warning, stranding the Condor for the time being until it lifted enough for Stork to get any bearings. It was too dangerous to navigate through this area, considering the jagged mountain terrain below and the storm brewing up above the fog. The Condor was still being repaired from their last run-in with Talons, not to mention Snipe and Ravess, so there was no way that she could survive the wind storm up above.

"Nothing. The magnetic field surrounding this mountain is throwing every reading off. We could risk it, but…"

Piper shook her head, "…we'd be going to our doom?"

"Exactly."

Finn groaned. He was bored out of his mind and, as he saw it, they could try to make it out of here if it weren't for Stork's paranoia for… well, everything really. They were _supposed_ to be headed to Terra Amazonia – not for a vacation, mind you, but for a mission. Still, what better place to have a mission?

Aerrow glanced again at the tactics expert who was bending over maps of the area, trying to make sense of it. A frown had been plastered on her face for quite a while, making him wonder if it would be permanently etched into her forehead. Feeling more than just a little frustrated, went back to glancing out of the ship's windows, fervently hoping that the fog would just lift a little. He couldn't take anymore of Finn's impatience, and especially couldn't continue to politely eat whatever Junko made. They had been low on supplies before the trip, but now were reaching into Junko and Stork's stashes. Needless to say, really, Finn was now hugging the toilet, though now they had a brief, blissful silence.

A few hours later, after everyone besides Aerrow had retired for the night, Finn came bursting into the command centre, a wild excitement painted on his face and an all-too-familiar glint in his eye.

"Praise whatever god you want, the fog lifted a bit dude!" he shouted, emphasizing with a wave at the windows.

Aerrow, who had been dozing in the command chair, blinked a few times and walked towards the window. Finn was right!

"Finn! Go wake the others, I'm going out there to check for better landmarks!" Aerrow sprinted towards the hallway leading to the hanger, but also grabbed one of the maps.

Finn was left, standing in the hanger, wondering why Aerrow needed to be out there when Piper and Stork could do all that from in here. Shrugging, he ran to get the others.

Aerrow sped through the air, relishing his freedom from the confines of the Condor. Yes, he knew he didn't really need to be out there, but hey, he hadn't been out on his skimmer in so long fear that he may lose track of the ship while out in the dense fog. And he was also the leader, he rationalized, so that _must_ make it okay.

…Piper would have his head for this.

Still, the feel of the air whipping through his hair, the sound of the skimmer's underneath him, and the lifting haze of the fog were too hard to resist. He would have to return soon to smuggle Radarr on, too. He had been moping around the ship as well, though didn't complain too much and deserved a bit of the open air as well.

On his way back, a glint of light hit his eyes, blinding him for a moment before he shaded his eyes, looking for the source. To the right of the Condor, he could see reflected light bouncing off the mountain in patterns. Taking a moment to figure it out, he felt a jolt of worry. It was a distress signal!

Piper and Stork were working feverishly among maps while Finn, Junko, and Radarr were pressed up against the command centre's glass, watching Aerrow fly about.

"Why does he get to have all the fun?" Finn asked noone in particular.

Junko paused, then answered, "Because Piper said that if we went out, too, we'd be 'in a world of trouble' and said she wouldn't feed us."

Fin grimaced. "I think I'll pass on the food anyway. Mirk cabbage and whatever weird slimy stuff you have left isn't what I'd call dinner."

Radarr faked a gagging motion, then went back to pressing his face against the glass. He just wished Aerrow would be able to sneak him off the Condor, even if just for five minutes. He could see the exhilaration on Aerrow's face as he sped around the ship. Suddenly he stopped, shielding his eyes, and then accelerated to the left of them and past.

Alarmed, Radarr squawked, pulling at Finn's leg, pointing dramatically at the window.

"Huh? What is it, Radarr?" Finn scanned out the window again. "Where'd Aerrow go?"

Piper lifted her head, catching the last of the conversation and noticing Radarr's frantic behaviours. "Stork, turn the ship towards the mountain!"

Stork, understanding immediately, started the engine to give chase, but in no more than a minute's time, the fog rolled back in, thicker than ever. Horrified and fearful expressions replaced their concerned ones.

"He's doomed…"


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves"

Confucius _(BC 551-BC 479) Chinese philosopher._

Chapter Two

The signal still shone in front of Aerrow as be bee-lined towards it and the mountainside. The fog was denser then closer he got to the land, but it couldn't be helped.

Roughly five hundred yards out, the signal started moving further into the mountain between two cliff faces that rose hundreds of feet higher than his current elevation. Aerrow only pondered this for a moment, then carefully maneuvered his skimmer through the tight squeezes and rock formations. Several times he lost sight of the bright signal, but his sharp eyes always spotted it the next moment.

Finally, about a mile into the mountain, the signal stopped, then disappeared altogether at a ledge that could barely fit his skimmer, and only then when the wings were retracted.

Slipping off the familiar seat and onto the ledge, he looked back from where he had come, hoping that the others would know where to follow him. He was starting to get a bad feeling about this. Why would the signal move off instead of stay where it was?

Turning back to the cliff face, he started walking towards what looked to be a cave. Switching on a light on his wrist, he went through the opening. The cave wasn't just a cave, it was a cavern! And there stood a young boy ten feet in front of him, no older than five years old. He stood nervously, fingering the distress beacon with his hands, chewing his bottom lip.

"D… did you come to he… help?" asked the boy, the nervousness showing in his voice as well.

Aerrow approached him slowly. "Yes, I saw your signal from outside the mountain." He paused, then asked, "Why did you run into the mountain? Why not stay there and wait?"

The boy's hands quickened their nervous fiddling. "I need your help." He stopped, looking unsure of what to say. Aerrow waited patiently. "My parents are in trouble!... They fell in the cave and can't move! Please, please help my parents!" The boy broke down, sobbing uncontrollably, burying his face in the crook of his elbows.

Aerrow walked over to him, kneeling down in front of him and placing a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder. "Of course I'll help them. You just lead me to where they are." At this, the boy only cried harder. Confused, Aerrow tried another tactic. "My name's Aerrow. What's yours?"

Struggling to control his sobs, the boy replied, "Teagan."

"Alright, Teagan, I'm hear now and we'll work through this together. I promise I'll do my best to help your parents." He looked Teagan in the eye, then continued, "But you have to promise me that you'll help me by showing me what way to go."

The boy stopped crying, sniffing and rubbing his eyes. "'k, I promise." He held his hand up to Aerrow expectedly, who took it hesitantly. At once, the boy starting leading him down into the darkness of the cave.

As the two travelled deeper in to the cavern, Aerrow found himself impressed with the little boy. He had led Aerrow through the complicated maze of tunnels without really batting an eye. How did this kid have such a good memory?

The two walked on, trading stories. Aerrow would tell Teagan about one of his adventures, though he'd leave out the more dangerous aspects of them, and the Teagan would reciprocate, telling Aerrow about his parents. Apparently, the family lived in a village in a valley between two of the mountains. They were farmers by trade – Teagan proved that by telling Aerrow all the particulars of farming, right down to the details of what kind of equipment they had and how they were used. Aerrow stifled yawns several times, but pretended to have a keen interest in the subject. Talking seemed to help Teagan remain calm.

Fourty minutes later, the cave started to open up into more than tunnels and into a large cavern again. Aerrow found himself staring, marvelling at the stalagmites jutting up dozens of feet high. An eerie glow seeped from the rock walls, bathing the two boys in a greenish light.

Teagan paused, suddenly unsure again. Maybe the glow was scaring him?

Resting a hand on the younger boy's shoulder, Aerrow asked, "Are we close to where you mom and dad are?"

Teagan nodded, but kept his head lowered. Aerrow tried to catch a glimpse of his face, but the boy suddenly raced off to another tunnel. Startled, Aerrow chased him into the tunnel. "Teagan!" He could hear the boy's footfalls, but the tunnels twisted so much and there were so many of them. Within seconds, Aerrow lost all traces of the boy.

_Why would he want to lose me like that?_ Aerrow wondered. He continued to call out the boy's name, worried at his behaviour. This place was too dangerous for him. Especially if even his parents had been able to take a fall in here.

Walking onward for another few minutes, calling continuously, he saw a glow at the end of the tunnel he was in. Hopeful, Aerrow sprinted towards it…

… only to feel an unbelievable pain in his abdomen.

Falling to his knees, trying to gasp for air, Aerrow looked up, horrified.

"You should watch where you go. There's never knowing what's around the corner…"

Above him, jeering down at Aerrow, was the Dark Ace. Aerrow rolled out of the way as a kick was aimed at his midsection again, only to catch him in the side instead.

Coughing, trying to get his breath back, Aerrow leered back at the older man. "What are you doing here, Dark Ace?"

A voice called out to his right. "I'm sorry, Aerrow!" There was Teagan, in the hands of a Talon, tears streaming down his face. "They said if I didn't, they'd hurt mom and dad!"

Behind the boy were his parents, gagged and with hands tied behind their backs with two Talons holding each of them still. A distressed, remorseful look passed between the two of them, saying all that needed to be said.

The Talon holding Teagan roughly shoved him towards his parents, Teagan clinging onto them, crying desperately.

"What a good little boy he was wasn't he?" Dark Ace commented. "Bringing you here, and all on your own, too."

Furious, Aerrow swiped his leg out, only to have the Dark Ace jump back. "You used a kid like him to lure me in here!? This is low, even for you!" With that, he back flipped, landing on his feet while drawing his blades.

The Dark Ace lunged at Aerrow, a wild wrecklessness overtaking him at Aerrow's comment. All Aerrow could do was defend himself, blocking blows while moving backwards. The cave wall met his back, the Dark Ace pressing his blade against Aerrow's, pinning him to the wall.

"We all do what we have to in order to win, _Sky Knight_," he added sarcastically. He could see the panic creeping into Aerrow's eyes as the youth pushed against his red blade. "And you, with your wreckless _need_ to help everyone else. You're so like _him_…" Seeing Aerrow startled and confused, the older man brought his knee up into the other's torso again.

With the rock wall behind him, Aerrow felt the full impact. A loud crack was heard and a stabbing pain exploded from his ribcage. Another blow from the Dark Ace sent him reeling to the ground, clutching his head. Blood poured from a gash above his eye, blinding him on his left side.

The Dark Ace watched the youth stumble to his feet unsteadily, wiping away the blood and setting his jaw. Oh, how he loved a determined fighter!

Wondering at the 'him' comment, but knowing all too well that the older man was trying to offset him, Aerrow pushed it from his mind. Taking a quick glance behind him, he counted five Talons surrounding the two adults and child.

Slipping a crystal out of his wrist, Aerrow stared down the Dark Ace. "Maybe it's my _need_ to help others that sets us apart, Dark Ace. You used to be a Sky Knight, too. You used to have that _need_, too." He grinned, "So don't pretend you don't understand it."

Livid, the Dark Ace lunged, too late to notice the light crystal in Aerrow's hands. Too late to shield his eyes as Aerrow destroyed it. He fell to his knees, covering his eyes, cursing Aerrow colourfully.

Smirking, Aerrow turned around to the other blinded Talons. A few well-placed hits later, the five were on the ground unconscious.

He quickly cut through the bindings on the two adults. "Can you three make it through the tunnels to safety?" The two adults nodded, ushering Teagan away with them and towards a tunnel, blinking away the effects of the crystal. Teagan took one last glance back at Aerrow, awe and gratefulness shining through his young features. Aerrow smirked back and watched the parents hold each of Teagan's hands until they disappeared around a corner.

"You think this is a game, do you, boy?" Aerrow spun on his heel to see the Dark Ace blinking away the last of the effects of the crystal. "Your bravery," he spat out sarcastically, "has led you to this end. In a cavern with no way out."

"And with lousy company at that."

The older man stumbled to his feet, still squinting. "Time to give up. There's nowhere for you to go. You'll be lost in these tunnels longer than you'll be able to keep off starvation. It's time you knew when you were bested by your opponent. It was inevitable, Sky Knight."

Aerrow squared himself off, wiping the blood from his left eye, drawing his blue blades.

A rumbling laughter grew from the other man. "You think you can still fight, boy? You weren't the only one to hear the cracks from your ribcage, nor do I not notice your unsteady stance…"

Aerrow tensed, realizing all at once that the world around him was spinning slightly. _Probably from the pounding on my head…twice._

The Dark Ace advanced, murderous eyes claiming its prey. Aerrow knew all at once that he wouldn't be able to fend him off this time. Digging into his waist for another crystal, the Dark Ace surged forward, knocking the youth's hand aside, then sending another roundhouse to Aerrow already injured side. A scream emitted form Aerrow as he was sent crashing to the ground, clutching his side in agony.

The Dark Ace was on him at once, pinning him to the ground, a hand yanking the other's head upwards while the other hand held a burning, crimson blade to Aerrow's neck. Stars exploded in front of Aerrow while he felt blood dribble from his mouth. He desperately attempted to focus on the other's face, knowing that this may very well be his last moment in life.

Gasping, Aerrow heard himself choke out, "…who was '_him_'?"

The Dark Ace brought his face to the slide of the boy's, mouth next to Aerrow's ear. "You'll never know, Eldrik…"

The Dark Ace brought his other hand up, the hilt crashing into Aerrow's head and he knew no more.


End file.
